Pipe tong



N. K.v SMITH June 17, I930.

PIPE TONG Filed Nov. 6, 1928 Patented-June 11,1930

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NELSON K. SMITH, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BYRON JACKSON (10., 0] WEST BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PIPE 'roNG I Application filed November ,into open and closed position, and when closed, is thrust toward the pipe, that is to be held, by a leverage exerted by pivotal movement of the handle of the tong with respect to the body thereof.

One of the important considerations in the production of a tool of this type is to securely clamp the pipe in the tool without crushing the pipe, which crushing would weaken the ipe and undesirably reduce the bore thereo An object, then, of the invention is to provide for tightly gripping the pipe and at the same time avoid crushing the same.

Another object is celerity with which the tong can be applied to and disengaged from the pipe.

Another important object is to make the tool as automatic in its action as posslble.

Although the tool is herein termed pi e tong, it is to be understood that it is use 111 for making up and breaking out strings of casing, pump tubing, drill pipe and the like.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pipe tong constructedin accordance with the provisions of this invention,- a portion of the handle being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 2is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal view, mainly n section, viewed from the line indicated by 3-3,

- Fig.2.

There is provided a hook-shaped'body 6 comprising a curved web 7 top and bottom flanges 8, 9 and transversely extendlng webs 10, 11. The flanges 8, 9 provide forward curved edges 12 adapted to grip the pipe, that is to be held, on one side. I The pipe is gripped on the opposite side by a swinging ate, 'aw or latch 13 provided with a curved inner face 14.

The inner face 14 is provided near the free end of the latch with a die 15 which 1s brought into engagement with the pipe when the latch is in the closed position shown in Fig. 1. In the present instance, the latch 13 6, 1928. Serial No. 317,577.

is curvedso that, when it is closed, its outer face continues the curve of the flange 7.

The jaw 13 is pivoted by a .bolt 16 to the body 6 and said body and jaw together constitute a pair of pivotally connected jaws between which the pipe is. clamped. The pivot 16 passes through a hole 17 in the latch 13 and through holes 18 in the upper and lower flanges 8, 9. The pivoted end of the latch .13 is interposed between the flanges 8, 9 and said flanges at this point project beyond the web 7v so as to leave a slot 19 through which the pivoted end of the latch can move.

The pivoted end of the latch 13 is provided with a handle comprising a bar 20 and an outwardly projecting arm 21. The b'ar'20 is secured at its middle to the arm 21 and 1 the opposite ends of said bar project'upvwardly and downwardly from the arm 21 so that some of the fingers of the operator can be placed on the upper portion of the bar and some on the l0wer portion.

Near its free end, the latch 13 is provided in its outer face with a recess 22, one wall of which forms a shoulder 23 which is engaged by a shoulder 24 on an operating' member 25 which is pivoted at 26 to the body 6. The pivot'of the member 25, in this instance, is in theform of a bolt that passes through a hole 27 in the member25 and through holes 28 in the flanges 8, 9.

The shoulder 24 is formed by one face of a projecting finger 29 of the member 25. The member 25 constitutes the handle of the tong and constitutes a lever adapted when the handle is moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, toflthrust the latch 13 inwardly so as to clamp the pipe between the latch and the body 6.

Within the body 6 are spring seats 30,31

against which seat coil springs 32, 33, respectively. Pivoted at 34 in a recess 35 in t e inner end of the'latch 13 is a spring seat 36 provided with a shoulder 37 against which the spring 32 thrusts. The prolonged axis of'the spring 32 passes on opposite sides of the latch pivot 16 when the latch is in its open and closed positions so as to yieldingly hold said latch in said positions.

Pivoted at 38 in a recess 39 in the inner end of the member 25 is a spring seat 40 provided with a shoulder 41 against which termed spring toggle devices for yieldingly holding the body 6 and the latch 13 in either one of the positions mentioned above. The

pivoted end of the member 25 lies between.

the flanges 8, 9 and at this point said flanges extend beyond the web 7 so as to form'a slot 42 in which the member can operate. One end of the web 7 constitutes a stop 43 to limit relative opening movement between the body 6 and handle 25.

In this instance the die 15 is removably mounted in the latch 13, being slidably' mounted in an annular hole 44 in said latch. To prevent the die 15 accidentally slipping out of the hole 44, I provide upon the flanges 8, 9 lugs 45'provided with transversely extending holes 46 in which are. removably positioned cotter pins 47.

To use the invention described above, as-

suming that the parts are in the positions shown in Fig.3, the operator grasps the handle 25 and places the tong around the pipe or collar or other cylindrical member that is to be turned or held against turning and he will grasp 'the handle 20 and by exerting a pull on it, swing the latch 13 into the closed position shown in Fig. 1. Maintaining the grasp on thehandle 20, the operator willthen swing the handle 25 toward the left in Fig. 3 into the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby causing the shoulder 24 toengage the shoulder 23 and exert pressure of the latch member '13 upon the pipe, thus firmly clamping said pipe by the jaws 6, 13.

To open the tong the operator will swing the handle 25 to they right in Fig 1, thus causing the shoulder 48 on the inner end of the member 25 to thrust against the inner face of the latch 13, thus swingin said latch outwardly against the pressure of the spring 32. The operator will at the same time grasp the handle 20 and pull thereon so as to start the opening movement of the latch or, at least, so as to swing said latch far enough so that the prolonged axis of the spring 32 will pass to the right of the pivot 16 so that the thrust of the spring 32 will thereafter operate to swing the latch into the fully opened position, as shown in Fig. 3.

V I claim: I

1. A pipe tong comprising pivotally connected jaws, a lever pivoted to one of said jaws and provided with a shoulder, the other tions.

'awprovided with a shoulder engageable y the first mentioned shoulder when the last mentioned jaw is in. closed position and the lever is moved into one of its positions, the jaw with. the shoulder and the lever being movable into open positions, spring seats within the first mentioned jaw, springs engaging said seats, other spring seats pivoted to the second mentioned jaw and to the lever and engaged by the springs, the prolonged axis of one of the springs passing on opposite sides of the jaw pivot when the second mentioned jaw is in-open and closed positions, and the prolonged axis'of the other spring extending on opposite sides of the lever pivot when the lever is in the open and closed positions. {2. A pipe tongcomprising a body provided with upper and lower flanges and with a. web connecting said flanges, there. being slots at both ends of said body, a latch pivoted to the body in one of the slots and provided with a shoulder, a lever pivoted to the body in the other slot and provided with a shoulder engageable with the first mentioned shoulder whenthe latch is in'elosed position, and spring holding the latch and lever in either one of two positions. x 4 j 3. A pipe tong comprising'a body having toggle devices for yieldinglyupper and lower flanges and a web connecting said flanges, said body provided with transversely extending webs, the first 1nentioned web being shorterthan'the flanges to I define end slots in the body,;a latch pivoted to the flanges and projecting into one of the slots and provided withta shoulder, a lever pivoted to the flanges and projecting into.

the other slot and provided with a shoulder engageable with the first mentioned shoulder when the latch is closedand the lever is swung into one of its positions, and spring toggle devices for yieldingly holding the latch and lever in either one of two posi- 4. A pipe tong comprising. pivotally connected jaws, a lever pivoted to one of said jaws and provided with a shoulder, the other jaw rovided with a shoulder engageable by the rst mentioned shoulder when the last mentioned jaw is in closed position andthe lever is moved into one 'of its positions, the jaw with the shoulder and the lever being movable into open positions, a spring seat within the first mentioned jaw, a spring engaging said seat, and another spring seat pivoted to the lever and engaged by said spring, the prolonged axis of said spring 7 jaws and provided with a shoulder, the other, I

jaw provided with a shoulder engageableby the first mentioned shoulder when the last mentioned jaw is in closed position and the lever is moved into one of its positions, the lever and the jaw witht the shoulder being lmovableinto open positions, a spring seat within one of said aws, a spring engaging said seat, and another spring seat pivoted to the other jaw and engaged by said spring, the prolonged axis of said spring passing on opposite sides of the pivot connecting said jaws when the jaws are in the open and closed positions.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif., this 30th day of October, 1928.

NELSON -K. i 

